


When Worlds Collide

by FlyingPizzaBook



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, Kid Peter Parker, Parent Pepper Potts, Pepper Potts Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Peter Parker is Pepper Potts's Biological Child, Precious Peter Parker, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, peter parker is a toddler
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-16 00:08:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28572774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlyingPizzaBook/pseuds/FlyingPizzaBook
Summary: Pepper is trying her best as a single mom. She also works for Tony Stark, but he doesn't know she has a toddler, until now.
Relationships: Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Pepper Potts, Peter Parker & Pepper Potts & Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 58
Kudos: 324





	1. The Stranger on the Park Bench

Pepper walked through the park gate as her son ran past her and towards the playground. Peter was always full of energy and this trip to the park would (hopefully) meant that he would go down for his nap easily. As Pepper watched her son climb the playstructure, she smiled and strolled towards an empty bench. Sitting down, she pulled out her phone, checking emails. Being Tony Stark's personal assistant meant her job didn't end when she left the building. She spent most of her time putting out Tony's fires, but she always spared enough time to be with her son.

Speaking of her son, Peter seemed to have gotten himself stuck trying to get into a kiddie swing. 

"You need help with that, bud?"

"No, Mommy! I can do it! I'm a big boy!"

"Okay, big boy," Pepper smiled. She stood back, just long enough for Peter's legs to slip out of the swing and for him to completely fall into the dirt. Before Peter could even register that he had fallen, Pepper was by her son's side, picking him up and holding him close. Peter didn't scream out, just nestled into his mom's side with teary eyes. Pepper carried Peter over to their bench, sitting him down and examining him for scrapes.

When she found none, she sent him back to playing. Peter gleefully bounded back to the playground, this time going for the slide.

"Mommy! Look how tall I am!"

"You're so tall, Petey-pie. Taller than even Mommy!"

"Yeah!" Peter slid down the slide, running off to find another piece of playground equipment. Pepper moved back towards her bench.

Not 10 minutes after she sat back down, Peter came back to her, not in tears but with a grin.

"Mommy! Mommy! I found a new friend! He's pretty lonely, but he says he's just missing his friend. She had to go away for a while and he's not okay"

Clearly, Pepper had to drill in the "don't talk to strangers" lesson just a bit harder. Nevertheless, she followed Peter over to a man on his own bench, trying to deduce his intentions with her son.

"He says his name is Tony and he just likes to sit in playgrounds to see all the kids." Okay, this man sounds like a creep.

As they approached him, Pepper began to recognize him. The dark, messy hair was familiar, the mannerisms, too. It wasn't until she saw the stranger's facial hair that she realized he wasn't a stranger at all. It was Tony Stark, her boss. Her boss who didn't know she had a kid.

Pepper almost stopped short, shy of the toddler dragging her across the playground. What would Tony think of her having a kid? Would he feel weird knowing he was tearing her away from a 3-year-old? Would he still trust her to do her job properly? Because she can still do her job properly. She was able to even when Peter was born, running on no sleep and looking after both of her children, even though they were over 30 years apart in age.

By the time she finished that thought, though, she and Peter had made it to Tony. Tony, with sunglasses, his futile attempt at a disguise. She looked at him, wondering how long it'd been since he last slept. She'd only been "off" for a day and a half, opting to take the weekend as time to be at home. 

"Hi, miss, I-" Tony cut himself off. "Pepper? What are you doing here?"

"I'm taking my son to the playground. Is there anything wrong with that?" 

"No, I just- I didn't know you had a kid," Tony put his head in his hands, seemingly wrestling with something. Peter was also being uncharacteristically quiet, so she sat next to Tony on the bench and pulled Peter up onto her lap.

"Here we go, big boy, now do you have any questions? You're being very good and patient while Mommy talks to the man."

"Mommy does he know you? He called you "Pepper" but your name is Mommy!" Pepper smiled at her son's matter-of-fact tone.

"Some other people call me Pepper, darling, just like I call you both "Peter" and "big boy" and "Petey-pie."

"Oh," Peter seemed to contemplate that for a moment, then jumped right back into his bubbly self. "Tony you should tell Mommy about the lady from your work! Maybe she can help you find her! My mommy knows everything!" 

Even Tony chuckled at that. 

"Okay, if you insist, kiddo," He turned to Pepper. "I know this woman from work. She's absolutely amazing, she's got this beautiful confidence and drive and absolutely gorgeous strawberry blonde hair. She's fantastic, keeps up with me and is always by my side. She even ran my company for a few days officially, but really she's been doing it for years. I couldn't imagine anyone else like her."

Pepper blushed, looking away from Tony. She knew he needed her, but she didn't know how deeply he felt about her. It almost changed everything, hearing basically a declaration of love. But she had her son to think about, she couldn't enter a relationship with Tony. As much as she loved him too, he was just too unstable. Always bouncing from task to task, and he was constantly in harm's way. There was no way she could endanger Peter like that. He needed stability.

But she really loved Tony. 

However, all of these thoughts of love were unceremoniously interrupted when Peter spoke next.

"Mommy? I have to go potty." Oh boy. Peter had started potty training a few weeks ago, and he was finally picking up on when he had to go, albeit a little late sometimes.

"Alrighty baby, let's go find a potty," Pepper stood, carrying Peter. "I'll see you tomorrow, Tony. Don't forget you've got that investors meeting at 10am sharp, I'll see you in the conference room. Be on time, Tony!"

With that, she half-walked, half-jogged over to the pavilion with the toilets, finding her way into the family restroom.

~~

Once Peter was all settled, they decided to head home. Pepper was shaken by Tony's declaration. She had a lot to think about before tomorrow's meeting, with little of it relating to finances. But right now it was naptime for Peter, and Peter took precedent over Tony.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm starting my first longfic! At the very least, there'll be updates every month on the 5th, but I'm really excited for this one! I've already got a second chapter started, and a lot of the story mapped out. Can't wait to take this ride and I love all of you who choose to come with me!
> 
> also. in terms of timing, I'm thinking this happens between Iron Man 1 and 2, so Tony and Pepper aren't ~together~ yet, but Tony is Iron Man.


	2. Inquisitive. (and chocolate milk, for dessert)

Later that evening, Peter had gone to bed, and Pepper was still thinking about Tony. What would he say about Peter? Would he be angry? Angry that he didn't know about Pepper's kid? He had no right to be angry - right? Employees don't have to disclose their familial situation. Right. So whatever Tony thought, Pepper would just swallow or shrug off. Worst thing that happens would be that she gets fired, but Tony couldn't even tie his shoes without her. She'd be fine. She'd have to be fine. Hopefully, Tony would still show to the 10am meeting, not blow it off because he's mad at her. That would hurt so much more than just Pepper's reputation. It would hurt the entire company's reputation.

So, with all of these thoughts swirling, Pepper was surprised to wake the next morning to Peter's monitor showing him awake. He still slept in a diaper overnight - she hadn't yet gotten him a "big boy" bed, so he was still in his crib. Rolling over, Pepper moved towards his bedroom to see what he needed. As she walked in, Peter gave her a smile.

"Mommy I'm hungry and I need to go potty"

"Does that mean you kept your diaper dry all night, baby?"

"Yes Mommy! I did!"

"I'm so proud of you, my big boy! Let's get you over to the potty," Peter beamed as Pepper picked him up out of his crib. Pepper walked and Peter toddled over to the bathroom, and Pepper helped him use the big-boy toilet, instead of his training potty, because she was there with him.

"Now, big boy, what would you like for breakfast before you go to school?"

"Banana! And cereal! Please, Mommy."

"Anything for my big boy who kept his diaper dry all night!"

The two made their way to the kitchen, and Pepper put Peter in his high chair. They had some awfully animated conversations in the meeting, Peter being his usual sunshine-y self and Pepper being more of a morning person as well. 

As Pepper fixed a banana-and-cereal breakfast for both of them, Peter talked eagerly about his day at preschool today.

"Mommy! I'm so excited to see Ned today," Pepper fed him a bite. "He said he'd bring his new toy for show-and-tell and then we get to play with it during recess!"

"That's so exciting, buddy! Just be careful with it, you don't want to break it." Peter nodded furiously, although it was a bit difficult for Pepper to take him seriously when he was covered in banana.

"Are you all done with your breakfast, buddy?" Peter nodded, and Pepper grabbed a washcloth from the sink. "Then let's get you cleaned up and dressed, okay?" Peter nodded again. Pepper pulled him out of his high chair when his face was clean of banana, and the two went to Peter's bedroom to get him dressed.

"Do you want the blue pants or the red pants, Peter?"

"Blue pants!"

"And the red shirt or the green shirt?"

"Red shirt, Mommy!"

"Okay big boy, let's get you dressed. Can you do it or do you want some help?"

"I can do it Mommy, I'm a big boy!"

"Okay, Petey-pie. Just ask me if you need help though, alright?"

"Yes Mommy but I can do it!"

After a few struggling moments, Peter did finally get himself dressed. Peter also put on his backpack, and Pepper grabbed his lunch and hers from the refrigerator. The two then left, Pepper taking Peter to school and then Pepper going to work.

~~

As soon as Pepper walked into the building, she was bombarded with questions. People asking things left and right. As soon as she got through the crowd to her desk, she put her bags and coat down and got to work.

After almost an hour of going through emails and putting out urgent fires, Pepper's eye caught the clock. 9:55. That investor's meeting she bugged Tony about? 10am. Hurriedly, she gathered her notes and laptop and raced to the conference room.

She walked in, smoothing her flyaway hairs down as she took her seat. Tony, typically very late and very verbal, was on time and eerily silent, focused. The meeting went by with no interruptions, no outbursts, and resulted in an awfully inquisitive Pepper, preparing to question Tony afterwards. However, as soon as the meeting ended, Tony was out the doors and back to his workshop.

Pepper followed him to the lab, curious as to why his behavior was so different. But, of course, she got sidetracked and pulled into another office to make a decision on another urgent matter. Such "distractions" come with running a company, she supposed. Her personal questions would have to wait.

By 3pm, Pepper had confirmed a deal with Apple for a shipment of hardware, talked to the U.S. Government about building arc reactors to power their buildings, and made sure the London office didn't completely collapse after a tech deal with the French government had gone sour. Suffice it to say, she was ready for lunch. So, as she grabbed the meal she had packed that morning, Pepper went upstairs to find Tony.

"Hey, Tony? You in here? I brought you some lunch," Pepper said as she opened the doors to the lab. When she didn't get a reply, Pepper ventured further into the lab space. She didn't hear any major clanking or other mechanical sounds, so she wasn't even sure if Tony was here.

Stepping through to the second half of the workshop, she found Tony sitting in front of a large monitor.

"Who goes there? Is that Rhodey?"

"No, Tony. It's me," Pepper says softly. "I brought you some lunch." She placed the tray on the desk in front of Tony.

"Thanks," was his noncommittal answer.

""Thanks?" That's all I get? Also why were you so quiet at the meeting this morning?"

"No reason. Just tormenting myself over the fact that I've basically used you to run my entire life and company since you were hired when you had other responsibilities that were much more important that me. I called you in the middle of the night, Pep! I pulled you away from a literal child. What did you even do with him? Leave him? Call a 24/7 babysitter?"

Oh. So that's what this is about. Pepper had almost forgotten about what happened yesterday at the park, with her work day being so busy. 

"Tony, that's not your fault. I didn't tell you for a reason; I didn't tell you so you would put your faith in me. I didn't want my familial situation to interfere with my work."

"You could've at least told me that you had a kid! I would've let you go home more often, given you more regular hours."

"But Tones, that's not how you work. You work at all hours, so I had to too. Plus, my mom lives a few neighborhoods over. I had help."

"You shouldn't have had to."

"Maybe not, Tony. But it was my choice. And Peter's had a great upbringing so far - he's nearly three years old and he's such a bubbly kid."

"Yeah? Good that my problems haven't hurt him too much."

"Tony. Stop beating yourself up. Eat your lunch. As far as he knows, this is just how jobs are. It's okay. I see him enough. You can still count on me. Okay?"

"Alright," Tony starts reluctantly eating. "But you'd better tell me if you need anything. Money, time, anything. Okay?"

"I will, Tony. Now eat. I'm gonna head back to my office. Ring me with anything, alright?"

"Yeah, I will."

~~

After work, Pepper headed to pick up Peter. He was always so talkative after school. Today, it was all about Ned's show-and-tell, and their special snack after lunchtime.

"Mommy it was so cool! He brought a spaceship and it had a space guy with it! We played with it outside and they flew all the way to the Sun! The space guy almost died, but Ned saved him from the lava! It was so cool!"

"That sounds amazing, baby. How was the rest of your day?"

"We had teddy bear graham crackers after lunch! And chocolate milk! It was so good, Mommy! Can I have chocolate milk tonight? I love chocolate milk. It's so yummy! So yummy."

"Yeah bud? We can make some chocolate milk tonight. Maybe we can even have some Oreos with it!"

"Really Mommy?" Peter's voice jumped with excitement. "Oreos and chocolate milk? This is gonna be the best day ever!"

"Oh yeah, Petey. This is gonna be a great day," Pepper said, smiling. Her son really was amazing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi! I'm thinking that Peter goes to a preschool/daycare - I used to go to one where we had school in the morning and an aftercare program that kids could stay at until around 5 or 6pm when their parents could get them after work. and I know that I'm characterizing Tony a lot more emotional and Pepper a lot softer, but it'll make sense later I promise! I love you all!


	3. Red Carpet Event

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter and Tony properly meet, and Tony surprises Pepper with quite the gift.

After a lovely dinner of spaghetti and meatballs, Pepper was making a special dessert - Oreos and chocolate milk. Pepper, having seen Tony's dietary habits up close, was determined to do better with her child, so sweets were a lot more of a rarity in the Potts household. 

Peter, understandably, was ecstatic.

"Chocolate milk and Oreos, Mommy? That's crazy!"

"Yeah, it is, buddy. But you deserve it. You're Mommy's best boy."

"Yeah I am! I'm Mommy's best boy!" Pepper chuckled as she put a plate of cookies on the table with two glasses of chocolate milk. Peter eagerly reaches for an Oreo.

"Mommy! These are so good! Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome, Petey-pie. Let me tell you a secret, too, bud."

"What is it, Mommy?"

Pepper leans down to her son. "Dip the Oreos in the chocolate milk," she whispers to Peter.

"You're allowed to do that???" Peter's eyes widened, and Pepper laughed at her son's antics.

"Yeah, bud. Watch this," Pepper dips her cookie in her cup of milk and takes a bite. "Yummy, yummy, yummy."

Peter tries, albeit a little more clumsily than Pepper. But, he doesn't drop the cookie in the milk, and that's a pretty big feat for a toddler. He takes a bite, and again, his eyes widen.

He gasps. "That's so good, Mommy!"

"I'm glad you like it, baby boy," Pepper takes another cookie, and helps Peter eat a few more. After a couple more cookies each, Pepper grabs a washcloth.

"Ready to get a bath, buddy? It's almost time for bed," Pepper says as she cleans off Peter's face. 

"No Mommy I don’t wanna go to bed!" Peter yells, followed by a big yawn.

"Yeah, I thought so, big boy. Let's get you in the bath anyway, okay? So you can get the cookie off your face."

"Okay, Mommy."

Pepper took Peter out of his highchair, setting him on the ground and holding his hair as they moved up the stairs to the bathtub. Once up the stairs, Pepper got the water running and sat a sleepy Peter on the floor as she grabbed pajamas from Peter's bedroom. When she returned, she got Peter undressed and into the tub, then cleaned and dried off. Seemingly as soon as Peter fell asleep, Pepper's phone rang. Hurrying out of the room to keep Peter asleep, she answered it.

"Hello? Tony are you okay?"

"Yeah. Pepper, I need your help. But don't come in; I can handle it myself. I just need your advice."

"Ok… what do you need?"

"I need a time and a date that you and Peter are available."

"Why?"

"Can't tell you. C'mon, time and date for you and Peter."

"Uhh, Friday afternoon? I can pick Peter up from school early any day, but there probably won't be anything major happening business-wise after 4 on a Friday."

"Okay. Consider it set. Put it in your calendar, block it off on mine, you and Peter are coming to the penthouse. I've got something for you both."

"Okay… we'll be there. But what do you have planned?"

"Can't tell you. Be there!"

"I will-"

"Wait. One last question. Does Peter like Paw Patrol or Mickey Mouse better?"

"Uhh, Mickey Mouse, I guess? He likes Disney more than Nickelodeon, so Mickey, probably. But you can't go wrong - he watches both."

"Okay. Thanks. Bye."

"Bye," Pepper was cut off. She stood outside Peter's door, dumbfounded, for a moment. Then she cracked Peter's door open once more to make sure he was asleep, and then headed off to her own room to get ready for her bedtime, but not after adding Tony's mysterious event to her calendar.

~~

One hectic work week later, Pepper left the office for *not* the last time that day. She headed towards Peter's school, still curious as to what Tony had planned for them. A dinner? Toys, because he felt guilty about not knowing about Peter for 3 years? She had no idea. But, what she did know, is that Peter was beyond excited.

"Mommy," he questioned as they walked out of the school, "Did Tony find the lady he needed?"

Pepper almost forgot about that detail from last Sunday. Trying to seem unfazed, she answered Peter as calmly as she could.

"Yeah, baby. She got back to work on Monday, just took the weekend off. Like how you don't have school on the weekends, she went home for the weekend, too."

"Oh. Is he doing better now? We get to see him now, right?"

"Yep! He's doing better, and we're going to go see him right now!"

"Ooh! I wonder if he has the same toys as me? Maybe we can play together!"

"Yeah baby, maybe you can. I'm sure he has lots of toys for you to play with," Pepper smiles. She's now almost sure that Tony bought something for Peter, she just doesn't know what.

~~

Upon arriving back at the Tower, Pepper led Peter to the elevators, to head upstairs to Tony's penthouse.

"Mommy! It's so big!"

"Yeah, buddy. It's really big."

"The biggest room I've ever seen!" Peter said, arms spread wide to show just how large he was thinking.

"I'm sure of it, little man. It's one of the biggest rooms I've seen, too." Pepper was excited to see just what Peter's reaction to Tony's penthouse would be, it had some majorly high ceilings. What she didn't expect, though, was Tony's penthouse being covered in (electric) candles with Rhodey waiting for them in the entryway. But, before Pepper could even speak, Peter's little voice was heard.

"Wow it's so pretty! And there's a red carpet! Wow!"

"Yeah, wow is right, buddy," Pepper was astonished. Then, to Rhodey, she said, "How did Tony get you involved? What does he have planned?"

"I can't tell you that, Pepper. But I can tell you that the both of you are gonna love it. D'you mind introducing me to the little man?"

"Yeah, of course. Peter," she said, grabbing his hand, "This is Rhodey. Rhodey, this is Peter."

"Hey, Peter. I'm Rhodey," He says, kneeling down.

"Do you know Tony?"

"Yeah, he's my best friend."

"That's crazy!"

"Yeah, it is," Rhodey stands up, and gestures towards the dining room. "Right this way, you two. Tony's waiting for you." 

Rhodey leads them to the dining area, completely decked out with, again, electric candles, a lovely red rug, and a beautifully set table with a gold tablecloth and fancy dishes and cutlery. There are three chairs at the table, two normal ones across from each other and one at the end with a booster seat. The booster seat was just a normal plastic booster seat, so the vibe was a little bit off because of it, but Pepper couldn't care less. She loved that Tony put effort into her kid's wellbeing, even after knowing about him for just a few days. 

Peter was the first to speak, eyes wide. 

"Wow!!! Mommy look! It's so pretty!"

"Yeah baby, it's really beautiful. Thank you, Tony. This is wonderful."

Pepper lifted Peter into the booster seat, and at the same time Tony pulled out a chair for Pepper. She sat in the ornate seat, and Tony pushed her in before moving over to his own chair. They sat for a moment, Peter eagerly looking around the decorated room. Once Peter seemed to have taken in the room, Rhodey came in with three silver platters. He placed two larger ones in front of Pepper and Tony, and a smaller plate in front of Peter. He lifted the lids off of all three platters and revealed salmon, rice, and salad for Tony and Pepper, and macaroni and cheese with chicken nuggets for Peter. Truly, a toddler's dream.

"Mommy I got chicken nuggets!! And mac and cheese!"

"Wow, baby, isn't that crazy? You've been such a good boy you get to have both today!"

"Mmm Mommy!" Peter says, taking a bite. "It's so yummy!" Pepper smiled, looking from Peter to Tony. 

"Truly, thank you, Tony. This is so nice, all of it. But I have to ask, why? Why did you do this for us?"

"What, you mean other than my guilt? Because I really, really appreciate you, Pepper. And don't get too worked up yet - there's still after dinner. I've got a whole lot more up my sleeve, Pep." Tony smiled. He couldn't wait to show them what he had for them. He just hoped they'd (she'd) like it. 

~~

As they finished their meals, Peter was chattering on about something that happened at school that day. When he was finished with his story, as finished as a toddler could be, Tony spoke to him.

"Peter? Do you wanna come see another surprise?"

"You mean there's more than chicken nuggets and macaroni?"

"Yeah, bud, there's way more."

"Can I see?" And, to Pepper, "Mommy can I see?"

"Of course, baby. We trust Tony," Pepper nods, looking to Tony with a question on her face. 

"You'll like it Pep, I promise."

With that, Tony led the two out of the dining room and towards the bedrooms. Pepper had only been here a few times before, when Tony was stuck in bed after Afghanistan. Now he was bringing a toddler back there? Pepper really wondered what he had planned.

They stopped, and Tony looked at Pepper. Staring at her, he asked, "Jarvis? Could you get the door?"

"Of course, Boss." The door clicked, and Tony pushed it open, revealing what was inside.

Inside, of course, was the coolest toddler bedroom ever. It had beautiful blue walls, and a colorful, soft area rug. Posters of various cartoon characters lined the walls, new toys sat on the floor, waiting to be opened. The thing that Peter liked the most, though, was sitting in the corner under the window. Peter raced to it, jumping onto his new favorite thing: a bright red racecar bed. Pepper was still standing in the doorway, with Tony next to her.

Seeing the joy on Peter's face, Tony asked, "How do you like the toys, Peter?"

"I like them a lot!" Pepper giggled at her son's response, eyes wet with tears, and turned from looking at the room to at Peter.

"Peter, what do you say?"

"Thank you Mr. Tony!" Peter continued to explore his new room.

"No problem, kiddo. It's the least I could do." Tony looked at Pepper with that statement and was met only with confusion.

"The least you could do for what? Why?"

"Well, as I've told you, I feel super guilty about not knowing that Peter existed. So, now, whenever I need you to come over in the middle of the night, you've got a place for Peter. You can just let him sleep in here, Jarvis can act as the world's best baby monitor. I specifically programmed a whole set of codes for Peter to use, and Jarvis will continually monitor him as long as he's in the building. There's also a new step stool in the bathroom down the hall, and that booster seat in the dining room is gonna be moved to the kitchen for daily use."

"Really? All this, for us?"

"Of course, Pep. You and Peter deserve this and so much more. You deserve the world."

Pepper's world froze, for just a moment. She looked into Tony's eyes, saw the genuine goodness there. The need to make sure his loved ones were taken care of. She just didn't know how much Tony loved her. And as if gravity was pulling them together, both Tony and Pepper leaned in.

And they kissed, for the first time, in the doorway of a toddler's bedroom.

Luckily, Peter was engrossed in playing with a new car. But, when it ran into Pepper's foot, the moment shattered, just a little bit. Pepper winced, even a small car can hurt when you've wedged your feet in heels.

"Sorry Mommy!" Peter said, planting a kiss on Pepper's foot where he ran it over. "All better"

"Yeah, kiddo. I'm all better. Thank you, buddy. What do you think of your new toys?"

"I like them a lot! This car is so fast! And there's a big teddy bear!"

And boy, there was. Pepper didn't know how she missed it. In the corner of the room adjacent to the door, a 4-foot-tall teddy bear sat on the ground. Peter pulled her over to it, and said, "Look at me, Mommy! I'm almost as tall as it!"

"Yes you are, Petey-pie. How about you play for a little longer, and then we'll go home, okay?"

"But Mommy, I don't want to go home!"

"You don't have to right now, baby. You can play for a little longer."

"Okay!" Peter found something else that caught his attention and played with that toy for a bit longer. Meanwhile, Pepper and Tony sat on the bed together, and Pepper turned to face Tony.

"We've got quite a lot of talking to do."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! This story is turning out to be super cool - I can't wait to get the rest to you! It looks like it'll be less than 10 chapters, but honestly? I have no idea. I keep coming up with little details and scenes to add, it's really a lot of fun. Thank you so much for reading and I genuinely love everyone who reads, comments, and gives kudos! Thank you and I hope you like it!


	4. Crash Course Babysitting

"We've got quite a lot of talking to do."

"Yeah, we do, Pep. I- I've liked you for a while now, I think, but you know me, messed up in the head. It's hard to admit. But I really do care about you, and Peter, and I just want to make everything as easy as possible."

"Tony. I know you care, and truthfully, I like you too. But I don't know if I can commit to a relationship with you just yet. Peter needs stability. I love all of what you've done for him in the few days you've known he existed, but I've worked with you long enough to know that you have phases. Is Peter going to be a phase? Am I going to be a phase? I can't set myself up for failure, and I don't want Peter to have to lose another dad, even if he didn't really know the first one."

"That's- that's actually a really good argument. I can respect it. But what if we came up with a plan."

"A plan?"

"Yeah. How about I take the kid and babysit him for a while. Get to know him. Nothing too long, whatever time you want. Then, after a week or so, we check back in. Okay?"

"You want me to leave my child with someone who can barely take care of himself? No way."

"Well, what if you're there too?"

"Okay, I get it. How about we set aside one hour each day, say 4-5pm, and you're the one in charge of Peter. I'll be with you, but you're going to be the main caretaker. I'll get him from school and bring him over the first day and stay the whole hour, but after that you'll get him from school. Then, slowly, I'll stop being as available. After a week or two, we'll see how we're feeling. But, if you hurt him in any way, the deal is 100% off. I trust you, but if Peter doesn't then this isn't going to work out. Sound good?"

"Sounds wonderful, darling."

"Alright then - and we're definitely going to need to talk about pet names."

~~

It was Monday, the first day of Tony's babysitting adventure, and Peter was talking Pepper's ear off.

"Ned had a really cool car for show-and-tell, Mommy! And there was a new girl, Michelle. She scared me."

"Oh really, baby? How did she scare you?"

"I don't know, she just did." Peter contemplated for a moment, then jumped back into his story about Ned. "Mommy, he brought a car that had lights and it made noise! The doors open too, and it was just so cool!"

"That sounds amazing, baby. Did you remember to share with Ned? Let him have it when he wanted, because it was his toy?"

"Yes, Mommy. But, whenever he played with it, I got to watch!"

"Great, Petey-pie. Are you ready for your afternoon with Tony?"

"Yeah! I'll get to see my racecar bed, right? And the big teddy bear?"

"Yep, you'll get to play with all the toys from the other bedroom."

"Yay!"

~~

The elevator doors opened, and Pepper and Peter stepped into the apartment of Tony Stark. Pepper had, mostly, gotten used to the idea of being friends with one of the richest men alive. Peter, however, still marveled at the high ceilings and vastness of the rooms.

Speaking of Peter, he had wandered towards the middle of the room, and was currently spinning around with his head tilted back, truly taking in the living room. It was right before Peter fell down from dizziness that Tony stepped into the room. Well, more like lightly jogged.

"Woah, there, buddy. Careful when you spin so much. You're gonna fall again," He chastened, catching Peter before he hit the ground. 

"It seems like you're really cut out for this babysitting stuff, Tony," Pepper smiled as she strolled over to the pair. Tony hugged her and Peter, and leaned in to kiss Pepper, but stopped himself.

"Can I kiss you? I know we haven't talked about, uhh, us, but I really want to kiss you right now." Pepper chuckled and smiled.

"Yes, you can kiss me." And as they did, Peter squirmed away.

"Ooh! Toy trucks!" Count on the toddler to keep life interesting.

But he was right. There were new toy trucks in the corner of the room, waiting to be played with. When would Tony stop with the gifts? Regardless, Peter found joy in crashing the trucks into each other, clearly attempting to find which one was stronger, of course. What else would he be doing?

While Peter played, Pepper set some ground rules.

"First, we're going to make him a snack, because he usually gets an after-school snack. He'll be okay playing for the minutes that we're busy. Then, I'm going to sit in the living room with a book. I'll be 100% available, just in the other room. You can keep him entertained with all his new toys or he's got a book you can read to him in his backpack, or you can read one of the new ones you got him, if you'd like. His favorite series is the Biscuit books, though. Or the ones with the Nickelodeon characters, but he'll probably like whatever you read him. That should be enough to cover an hour. Okay?"

"Yeah. Snack, toys, books. Got it."

"Great," she said, moving them towards the kitchen, "Let's get started on the snack."

"I had Rhodey stock the kitchen with toddler-friendly foods, so we should have something for him."

"Nice. He especially loves bananas with Nutella, but he gets really messy with that. Did you guys get any of the baby puff snacks? Or goldfish crackers?"

"No, but we do have bananas. We'll just have to deal with a messy baby."

"You'll have to deal with a messy baby. I've got a date with a book that I've been meaning to read for… how old is Peter?"

"You said around 3 years."

"Then I've got a date with a book I've been meaning to read for around 3 years."

~~

"Okay. Cleaning up a toddler. Can't be that hard, right?"

Let's just say that Tony was struggling.

Peter loved his banana, a lot. Maybe a little too much, as he smeared it all over his face. And his hands. And the table. So, Tony was fumbling, trying to find a washcloth to clean Peter off with. All the while, Peter was talking all about the battle he had with his new trucks, and the book they read at school today. Tony hoped he seemed interested; he really wanted this kid to like him. Finally, Tony found a washcloth, and ran it under the sink so it was damp.

"Here we go, buddy, time to clean off your face. There you go. Can I have your hands, too, bud?" Peter put his hands out and allowed Tony to clean them. Then, Tony unbuckled him from his booster seat, and Peter slid down and out of it. Peter wandered back over to his trucks, and Tony was left with a terrifyingly sticky table and chair to clean. So, he set out with another damp towel and cleaned off the table, and just as he finished, he found a child tugging on his pant leg.

"Can we read a story? Please?" Peter looked up at him with the cutest puppy-dog eyes. How did Pepper keep this kid in mind? Tony knew he'd end up spoiling the kid rotten if he kept using his puppy-dog eyes.

"Of course, bud, just let me finish washing my hands, yeah? How about you go pick out a book?"

"Okay!" Peter gleefully exclaimed, and he raced off to find a book. Tony took the moment to sit, but as soon as he did, Peter returned.

Tony looked up to see a visibly excited Peter with a book in his hand. 

"Alright kid, let's go sit on the couch."

"Okay!"

Tony moved over to and sat down on the couch, and Peter snuggled close to him, as if it wasn't even a question. The person reading the story must be snuggled, as if it were in the rules. Tony was surprised by the action, but appreciated it endlessly. 

As Tony neared the end of the story, he realized that Peter hadn't been nodding along like he had been in the beginning and looked up to realize that Peter had fallen asleep. Peter had fallen asleep while cuddled up on Tony. There was a three-year-old asleep in Tony Stark's lap. Tony just cooed, and tried not to move, for fear of waking the kid. 

He also realized that he probably wasn't going to get out of this situation any time soon, as it was only 4:30 and Peter was his responsibility until 5. Tony couldn't reach his phone to check his emails, and his eyelids were pretty heavy, so soon Tony fell asleep as well.

That was where they remained until 5pm, when Pepper came in from the other room. She snapped a photo of the two before waking them up, but it solidified something in her mind. After just one day, Tony already loved Peter, and Peter already loved Tony.

And Pepper already loved the idea of them as a family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi! sorry this one took longer, i'm currently swamped by scholarship applications and haven't been writing as much :( but! here it is. chapter 4. i plotted out the rest of the story the other night - and i'm really excited to share where it goes! i know i've said that like,, 10000 times,,, but i really am excited! much more excited to see your reactions that to actually write it lol  
> i hope everyone has a good day! ily!


	5. Blocks and Talks

Now it was Friday, the last day of their little "challenge", and Tony was on his way to get Peter from school. Dressed in a baseball cap, jeans, sunglasses, and a jacket, he looked like any other dad at the preschool, and Peter ran to him as soon as he walked into the classroom. 

"Tony! Are we gonna go to your house again?"

"Yep, bud. We get to go to my house again. But, today, your mommy won't be there. She's very busy today, so we get to play together for the whole hour, just us."

"Yay! Can you read me a story again? Can we build a tower together? Do you have chocolate bananas again?" Peter had a seemingly endless number of questions for a toddler.

"Of course, buddy. We can do all those things, and I stocked up on chocolate bananas just for you, kiddo." Tony chuckled at the kid's enthusiasm, as if he hadn't been to Tony's every single day that week.

"Yay! I love you, Tony!" Tony was shocked into silence for a beat. Peter hadn't said anything like this to him, but honestly? Tony loved him too, and Peter deserved to know. It may have only been a week, but this kid was irresistibly adorable and absolutely charming.

"I love you too, Petey."

~~

Tony carried Peter from the car into the apartment and set him down in his booster seat. Peter had been enthusiastically recounting his experience at recess that day, he and Ned played with Michelle ("The scary girl, Tony!") on the jungle gym, pretending to be on a spaceship.

Just as he finished his story (with a dramatic, "And then it exploded! Bwoosh!"), Tony put a plate of sliced-up bananas and a dish of Nutella to dip them into in front of him. Peter ate happily, and Tony texted Pepper that he had Peter eating a snack at the Tower. 

After Peter finished and was cleaned off, he bounded off to his room to pick out a book. Tony sat on the couch and waited for him to return, and Peter brought back what seemed to be his favorite story, The Rainbow Fish. He knew it by heart; he would "read" some of the memorized pages aloud when Tony wasn't fast enough for him. But, as Tony finished the story today, Peter was still wide awake, ready to play.

"Can we build a tower? Please, Tony?"

"Sure, kiddo. Where did we put the blocks last time?"

"In my room!"

"Okay, then let's head over there to build it. Grab your storybook, so we can put it away while we're in there."

"Okay, Tony! I love building towers!"

"Me too, kiddo. Me too."

~~

And again, just as Pepper walked in, Peter ran a truck full force into the block tower they had created, toppling it immediately. Peter squealed in delight and Tony laughed, neither of them noticing Pepper. She smiled at her boys, loving how domestic Tony had gotten in such a short time. Peter might just be the best thing to ever happen to Tony.

Peter looked up, after having fantastically destroyed his tower, and saw Pepper.

"Mommy! Look what Tony and I made! And then we knocked it down!"

"Woah, big boy! Looks like you've got quite the tower to clean up. We're going to stay for dinner tonight, though, okay? You don't have school tomorrow, so I was thinking we might even be able to stay overnight. You can sleep in your racecar bed!"

"Yay! I love my racecar bed!" Peter seemed elated at the news. If only Pepper could get him that excited for bed every night. Anyway, Peter seemed excited to stay over, and Tony seemed surprised. They had talked about Peter and Pepper staying over for dinner, but not overnight. That part was new. 

"Peter, can you pick up your blocks? I'm going to go start cooking dinner. Tony, help him, then come to the kitchen to help me. Okay?"

"Okay, Mommy!" and "Okay, Pepper," could be heard simultaneously. 

"Good. I'll see you boys in a bit," she said, and walked out to the kitchen to get started preparing chicken with white garlic sauce and pasta, one of Peter's favorites.

~~

Just as Pepper finished cutting up the chicken, Tony walked into the kitchen and she heard Peter playing with cars in the living room. 

Pepper turned around to face Tony and studied his face. "You look tired. Are you okay? Have you been sleeping?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Peter just… takes a lot out of me. I wouldn't trade it for the world, though."

"Yeah? Now you know how I feel," she chuckled.

"Don't remind me. My guilt is already gnawing at me nightly, don't need to add daily as well."

"Aww, Tony. Don't beat yourself up. That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about."

"What's up?"

"Well, I actually wanted to talk about us. As a couple." Tony went quiet at that, the only sounds in the penthouse being boiling water and toy cars crashing.

"I was thinking, and I know that I want a stable home for Peter. I really want to try, um, us. I want to try to be together. You've proven to me that you can love this kid like your own, and that you can take care of him. Staying with Peter, loving him, for an entire week straight? It's amazing, especially because I know how quickly you can flit from project to project. I want to try this, and I think Peter wants to, too. He talks about you all the time, Tony. He loves you just as much as you love him."

"So, you're moving in? Or we're just becoming a thing? What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking we should keep up these hours-after-school. I really appreciate the lack of break in my workday, and I trust you to take care of Peter. I don't think I'm going to move in yet, though. I want to talk to Peter about that first, and my mom. But, otherwise, yeah. I'll probably move in eventually, but right now, I need you to move."

"What? I-"

"Please, Tony. I need to get to the pantry. The water for the noodles is boiling."

"Oh, I- sure," He sidesteps, allowing Pepper into the pantry. "Does this mean I can kiss you?"

"I just need to do one thing," she says, pouring the pasta into the boiling water. "Now you can kiss me," she says once the pasta is cooking.

"I love you, Pep," Tony says, breaking their kiss for an instant. Pepper smiles.

"I love you too, Tony."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi guys! only one or two chapters left! I've loved writing this story and I'm so grateful to everyone who's read it :) i hope you enjoyed!


	6. I'll Be With You Forever

~a few years later~

Pepper entered the penthouse and took off her shoes and jacket, eager to relax. Today had been a hard one. But, what she wasn't expecting was a red-carpet path, not unlike the one that was on the floor when Peter and Tony officially met.

Intrigued, Pepper followed it to the dining room, which was beautifully decorated. Pepper didn't know what to make of the scene; no one else was in the dining room, and the house was eerily silent, until Peter walked in.

6-year-old Peter walked into the dining room with a suit and bow tie on, and his hair combed nicely. He looked positively adorable, and the outfit only amplified Pepper's questions.

"Please sit down, ma'am. Mr. Stark will be out in just a moment," Peter says, as he pulled out a chair for her. 

"Oh, thank you, sir. Is there a reason for this fancy occasion?"

"Yes. But I can't tell you!" Peter giggled, and ran back to the kitchen. 

Not a moment after, Tony came out, also in a suit. He carried a silver platter, as did Peter, who trailed behind him. Tony lit the candles that sat on the table, and he helped Peter climb into his seat. Before sitting down himself though, Tony lifted the platters.

"Voila, dinner is served," he said with a smile.

"Mmm, salmon and rice. Just like our first night," Pepper sighed, reminiscing. "And Peter even has chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese!"

"Well, I had to bribe the kid with something. Getting a suit on an elementary schooler is not an easy feat, Pep."

"You're quite right there, Tones."

And so, they ate. They ate their oddly similar meal with an oddly similar scenery in the oddly similar, confusion-inducing way that Pepper spent the first night. Except, this time, Peter was in on it. 

By the time the meal was over, Peter seemed about ready to burst with excitement, but was determined to hold it in.

"Hey, kiddo. How about you take these plates out to the kitchen, then you can go play?"

"Okay Daddy! I will!"

He climbed down from his chair and took a plate in each hand, then scurried off to the living room to play, leaving Pepper and Tony alone.

"Now, Pep. You're probably wondering what all this is for, so let me tell you." He stood from his chair and moved over towards Pepper.

"I love you, Virginia Potts. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, besides maybe Peter. I can't thank you enough for what you've done for me. I love you so much. And you deserve the world. But, all I can offer you is my world. And everything and everyone in it." Tony kneeled, and Pepper's eyes teared up. He pulled something from his pocket and opened it.

"Will you marry me?"

Pepper was so full of emotion, all she could do was nod, so she did. Vigorously. And pulled Tony up and hugged and kissed him and sobbed and whispered, "Yes. Yes, Tony Stark, I will marry you. I love you."

And that's when Peter walked in, because he heard crying. 

"Mommy? Are you okay?"

"Yep, buddy," she choked, "I'm so happy. These are happy tears, Petey. Don't worry."

"Good. Daddy tried his hardest to make everything perfect for you and I don't want him to be sad because you didn't like it."

"No, I'm not sad, buddy. I love everything you did - both of you. You did everything perfectly."

~~

"Do you, Anthony Edward Stark, take Virginia Potts to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do."

"And do you, Virginia Potts, take Anthony Stark to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do."

"You may now kiss the bride."

And oh, what a kiss it was. The whole (small) audience cheered, Peter jumped for joy, and that was it. They were finally married. Together, forever. 

And later that day when Tony signed the adoption papers, they rejoiced again. Pepper, Tony, and Peter. An official family, according to the law. On paper, it had been about 3 hours that they'd been all together. But, in reality, they'd been a family for 3 whole years. 

A loving, whole, family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> that's it! the end of this story! thank you all for coming on this ride with me! i love you all, your comments and kudos make my day!


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